Eve A. Slocum hopes that an explanation of her mental health and addiction issues will erase the stigma associated with such topics.

As a participant in the Mental Health Association in Jefferson County's "speakers bureau," Mrs. Slocum has visited organizations with four other members, sharing their stories with the community.

"I hope they learn the truth about mental health," she said. "This keeps me on the right path, and I'm just learning to talk about my feelings. This takes the stress away, especially if you can help another person out."

Mrs. Slocum, whose diagnoses include post-traumatic stress disorder, said that after having been addicted to painkillers for years, she most recently graduated from an addiction program through Samaritan Medical Center's Behavioral Health Department.

"I changed for the better," she said.

Getting her life back on track, the 30-year-old mother of two said her target audience would be families who experience mental health or addiction issues.

While the Mental Health Association's speakers bureau is willing to talk with any agency or community organization, most of its talks so far have been in-house or with SMC's inpatient mental health unit.

Mental Health Association Executive Director Daun M. Burk said the speakers bureau already is booked to hold ongoing monthly talks at the inpatient unit.

Speakers bureau participants also want to share their stories with middle and high school students, and those at Jefferson Community College.

"They may talk about their inpatient experiences, medication experiences, what recovery was like and how they got to be where they are now," Mrs. Burk said. "The goal is to reduce the stigma around mental illness, because these people came from similar backgrounds like people that of the general public."

Although there are only five people who participate in the speakers bureau, Mrs. Burk said the interest is growing as more talks are held throughout the community.

Speakers' diagnoses include bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety, among other mental health issues.

People like Mrs. Slocum, Mrs. Burk said, are the ones trying to get booked throughout the community, and putting effort into the program.